'Manchester understand us': London band Spector talk the North, drug references and the 'state of Britain today'

'Manchester understand us': London band Spector talk the North, drug references and the 'state of Britain today'

Ahead of British band Spector's show at Gorilla on Saturday, frontman Fred Macpherson chatted to MM about the North, 'cringey' drug references, and the 'state of Britain today'.

Released three years on from debut Enjoy It While It Lasts, Spector excited their cult fan base by releasing follow-up, Moth Boys, in August, after the release of singles All The Sad Young Men and Bad Boyfriend.

As the London four-piece come to Manchester to play Gorilla on Saturday, MM spoke to frontman Fred MacPherson.

He said that although the band comes from London they’re happy to be get outside of the capital for a UK-tour.

That’s Spector’s essential appeal to their fan. Unlike the feel-good vibes of chart music, Fred’s lyric articulate the growing-pains and neuroses of young adulthood, framed in context of what Fred calls the ‘state of Britain’ today.

“I don’t think I’d call this album political, but I think it shows the beginning of what I hope will be a more aware perspective that we write from,” he says.

“I think right now music is too apolitical and we need more direct responses, especially to England and the state of things right now.

“I think this album hints at it, because there is a disenchantment and a discussion of the generation that we’re in and the state of things.

“London has been turned into this ultra-corporate playground where you have these buildings worth billions of pounds, occupied by people who aren’t even in the UK and never will be.

“It feels like a particularly alienated, lacking in community. A ghostly city, almost like an empty theme park or something.

“And meanwhile people are struggling all over the UK, yet people still vote for a party that essentially promotes self-interest.”

Children don't need to be taught equality. Their elders need to stop teaching them inequality.

Fred says he’s not sure whether the band’s music will evolve over the next few years to become more political or less self-conscious, but that they just need to ‘keep playing music to people, and hopefully they will like it and tell their friends about it.’

When I ask about recent descriptions of him as an enigmatic frontman Fred laughs off the idea saying he’s just somebody who, ‘gives long answers to short questions.’